Course subject: Health Studies (HLTH)

An introduction to the philosophical, historical, ecological, legislative, and ethical foundations for understanding the practice of public health in Canada. The course is delivered in a 2-week block at the beginning of the MPH program sequence on the UW main campus. For MPH student only. The course must be successfully completed by MPH students before proceeding to other courses in the MPH program sequence.

A critical analysis of health policy formulation, implementation and evaluation related to population health initiatives and health services delivery. The course will include discussion of health system financing, organization, management and regulation and the role of various regional, provincial, and national agencies in health policy formation. It will compare the Canadian health system with systems in other countries.

This course is a rigorous introduction to biostatistics for those planning a career in public health. Students will learn various biostatistical techniques, how to apply those techniques in the analysis of data from health studies, and how to interpret the results from those analyses. After a brief review of material from a basic statistics course, topics covered will include simple and multiple linear regression, analysis of categorical data, simple and multiple logistic regression, and survival analysis. Emphasis will be on (i) conceptual understanding of topics, including literacy necessary for understanding scientific papers in public health, as well as (ii) carrying out various data analysis applications.

This course introduces the principles, methods, and uses of epidemiology in the practice of public health. After completion of this course, students will be able to critically read and interpret epidemiologic research and clearly communicate epidemiologic findings. They will be familiar with health status measurement, data sources, screening, surveillance, outbreak investigation, and metholds to support program planning and evaluation. Students will have a sound understanding of basic epidemiologic concepts, including prevalence, incidence, study designs, measures of association, bias, confounding and causal inference.

An overview of theories, research findings, and applications of health communication and risk communication in public health. The course examines theories of group interaction and mass communication related to community perceptions of public health problems and practices, the impact of new technologies on public health communication, intercultural issues in health communication, health literacy, social marketing, and links between health communication and public health policy. Prerequisite PHS 601.

The various programs and services, particularly in the non-medical areas, will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on various programs which are available to the elderly residing in the community, such as home care and homemaking services, various outreach programs, including day hospitals, placement and coordination services, geriatric assessment services, vacation relief beds and foster home programs. The reasons for the changes which have taken place over time will also be investigated. In addition, the cost-effectiveness and methods how such cost-effectiveness can be evaluated will be outlined. As with HSG 703, students in this course will be expected to undertake some field work.

This course focuses on health data as a key component of all health informatics systems. Topics include ontologies and other classification taxonomies found in health systems, data standards (with a focus on Canadian implementations of international standards), privacy and security of health data, client/patient assessment tools, and ethical considerations.

This course covers methods and applications of intervention evaluation in public health, as a means to ensure the effectiveness, accountability and continuous improvement of public health interventions. Basic evaluation models and concepts of evaluation design are provided as an introduction, including the relationship between intervention planning (organization and program planning) and evaluation. Both qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches are presented. Case examples are used to illustrate methodological, political and ethical challenges of program evaluation in the public health context.

This course focuses on the process by which decisions are made and how decision-making processes can be codified and machine supported. It will include topics such as reasoning and inference, techniques for managing uncertainty and information representation. The course is anchored in a systems thinking approach to problem solving.

This course focuses on the fundamental methods that are commonly employed in modern health informatics research in order to collect, store, organize, process, analyze, and communicate data/information/knowledge. Emphasis is on computerized methods and concepts. Students will gain both theoretical knowledge and practical experience so that they can apply the learned methods in practice after completing this course.

One of the major aims of heal informatics is to help health professionals make better decisions. To this end, diverse models and methods of decision making and decision support have been developed and implements in health care settings. This course reviews theories, methods, and technologies for aiding the process of making decisions in health care.

Methods used to assess human health risks associated with biological, chemical and physical exposures in the environment, focusing on hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. The course examines the strengths and weaknesses of various types of risk assessment approaches, the inherent uncertainties in each stage of risk assessment, and the interactive role of risk assessment and risk management in public health decision-making. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.

This workshop oriented course provides a foundational overview of various qualitative research processes beginning with philosophical underpinnings, and continuing through theoretical perspectives, methodologies, methods, analysis, and write-up. Specifically, ontological and epistemological approaches of prediction, understanding, emancipation, and deconstruction will be introduced and discussed as students immerse themselves in rigorous fieldwork in relation to current qualitative trends in health and well-being.

This course provides a comprehensive examination of dementia from multiple perspectives, including the person living with dementia, family care partners, and the health and social care systems. Key topics include epidemiology, prevention, stigma, meaningful engagement, care and support.

This course provides an introduction to the field of information visualization: the use of computer graphics and interaction to help humans understand, interpret and solve problems using complex data. Topics will be covered using case studies, and include what is visualization?; use of colour, shape, and contrast in representing data; rules of thumb for creating visualizations; and case studies.

Fundamental principles of public health surveillance and monitoring, describe the source of public health data in Canada and other countries. Topics covered include forecasting, information management and organization, and technological innovations for assessment, evaluation and program delivery.

The wide adoption of mobile technology presents a new opportunity. Leveraging this existing technology, healthcare systems can deliver remote care and collect real-time data on patients outside of health centres, minimizing unnecessary visits to hospitals and providing healthcare access to remote populations. In this course, we will explore how digital health technology has been designed, evaluated, and deployed in different countries. Case studies will be used to demonstrate how institutional and governmental constraints have a strong impact on the success of the deployment. The course will address the different digital health technologies in the market, such as Telehealth, remote patient monitoring, tele radiology, consumer health informatics, and mHealth. Important aspects of technology development like patient confidentiality, privacy, standards, communication and security protocols, regulatory requirements, among others, will be discussed when presenting the development of each digital health solution. By the end of this course, students will be prepared to design, evaluate, and deploy a digital health intervention and will have a solid understanding of the barriers and requirements for deploying digital health technology.

An exploration of the complex set of relationships among public health, environment and planning at the community and global levels. Topics covered include the concept of sustainable development and how it relates to public health.

This course examines the application of information technologies and information systems in public health practice. Selected topics include managing information to deliver value; data standards in public health; privacy, confidentiality and security in public health; surveillance systems, informatics of toxicology and environmental public health. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.

The supervised practicum is intended to provide the student with an opportunity to apply course learning in a health or health system setting. The placement may involve any of the activities or functions of students' field of study: public health, informatics, evaluation, etc. A contract stipulating practicum objectives, and work to be completed and evaluated to meet these objectives, must be jointly approved by the student, the student's field supervisor, the academic supervisor, and the practicum coordinator. A written report by the student, together with a letter from the field supervisor, are used by the practicum coordinator to evaluate student performance at midterm and completion of the practicum. Graded on a Credit/Non-credit basis. Course open to School of Public Health and Health Systems students only. Completion of all prerequisite coursework is required before commencing the practicum.

This course provides an opportunity for critical discussion and analysis of a range of key issues in aging and aging research, and of health system and health policy issues affecting older persons. Speakers will represent a variety of disciplines, reflecting the importance of interdisciplinary perspectives in aging research, as well as the combination of biomedical and psychosocial factors that contribute to healthy aging or to the development of frailty and chronic disease.

This course explores qualitative method approaches to program evaluation and public health practice. A critical analysis will inform health policy and practice based on methodological approaches most appropriate to the type of evaluation being conducted. Data collection tools, such as focus groups or interviews will be taught, as well as useful techniques for data analysis, interpretation of results, and presentation of findings. Mixed methods are introduced.

This course provides the theory and tools needed to apply systems thinking and a systems approach to health program evaluation. Course includes application of ethical theory to health reform, systems approaches to health programming planning and evaluation, international comparison of health systems, and an in-depth investigation of health sector subsystems or building blocks.

This course will provide an introduction to quantitative methods for use in program evaluation practice. Students will learn the importance of quantitative methods and analysis, appropriate analytic techniques to address certain evaluation questions, and how to interpret and report the results from those analyses. Study designs as well as descriptive and inferential statistics will be reviewed. Specific topics will include measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, analysis of variance, categorical data analysis, correlation and regression, and data visualization. Emphasis will be on the theoretical and conceptual understanding and application of quantitative analysis relevant to program evaluation.

"Global Health" refers to health issues and concerns that transcend national borders, class, race ethnicity, and culture. This course will examine Global Health issues and challenges in the 21st century from a Public Health perspective. Issues range from socioeconomic factors, health systems, culture, human rights, ecological sustainability, humanitarian assistance, and war and peace. Group work is emphasized. There may be opportunities for service learning or interviews with frontline providers to explore Global Health in a local context.

The course focuses on how information from surveys and administrative or clinical databases can be used to support evidence-informed decision making in the context of population aging. The course will combine an overview of health policy issues and service delivery with methodological considerations in the analysis of health information from a variety of sources.

The primary objective of the course will be to provide a basic understanding of how drugs can alter the function of neural cells, and how these changes can affect mood, cognition, and behaviour. Key topics to be discussed include: a) biological principles of pharmacology, b) general structure and function of the nervous system, c) major neurotransmitter systems of the brain, d) mechanisms of drug action on neurotransmission, and e) pharmaotherapy.

This advanced seminar examines modes of research inquiry in the health sciences. Issues related to measurement, casual inference, experimental and quasi-experimental research designs, descriptive, interpretive, and ethnographic methods of data collection will be examined. The objectives of the course are to build aspiring scholars' expertise in diverse modes of inquiry and systems of knowledge production in the health sciences, in critical assessment and contextualization of methodologies within the academic, interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and knowledge translation.

This course will focus on statistical methods for analyzing and drawing inferences from longitudinal data, time-to-event data and incomplete/missing data, with emphasis on their application for public health sciences. Topics include linear and generalized linear regression models (for correlated data), and imputation techniques for incomplete correlated and multilevel data. Students will learn appropriate methods to implement (particularly through the use of software) and interpret analyses of various types of complex public health data.

This course covers advanced research methods in health informatics that are often applied in cutting-edge health informatics research. Fundamental research methods will be extended to greater depth. Latest information technology will be discussed and applied in the context of health informatics.

This course will provide an overview of current thinking on work and health by introducing students to major substantive topics in the area from a multi-disciplinary perspective. The course will critically examine a variety of topics that may be investigated from different disciplinary perspectives. Classes will include presentations by faculty members representing different disciplines in the collaborative program. Examples of topics discussed in a given term may include work-stress relationships, healthy workplaces, and vulnerable populations.

This seminar is a forum for student presentations about results of or proposals for research. Invited speakers will also present results of research from time to time. Attendance at the seminar is required for two terms (i.e., during the candidates' first two years in the program). Attendance beyond that is encouraged. The range of topics that will be addressed in the seminar crosses all areas of investigation in the collaborative program. Grading will be on a credit/no credit basis.

The supervised research practicum is intended to enhance basic or applied research skills as demonstrated through previous practica, research assistantships or other research experiences.The placement may involve a combination of research design or program development, data collection (using quantitative or qualitative methods), analyses, interpretation and presentationa. A contract stipulating practicum objectives, and work to be completed to meet these objectives must be approved jointly by the student, the practicum supervisor, the academic supervisor, and the practicum co-ordinator. A written report by the student, together with a letter from the field supervisor, are used by the co-ordinator to evaluate student performance.